Sliding doors have been elements of private and public architecture since antiquity. For example, archeologists believe sliding doors were used in Ancient Roman construction dating to at least the 1st Century CE, and the iconic sliding shoji has been a staple of traditional Japanese architecture since around the 8th Century CE. Some advantages of sliding doors include the ability to conserve space over common swinging or bifold doors; the ability to conceal an open door; enhanced flow of light; soundproofing; and aesthetic considerations.
Contemporary sliding doors come in a variety of styles and materials. Traditionally-styled sliding doors typically include two or more panel sections, at least one fixed and one mobile, such that the mobile panel slides across the face of the fixed panel. Some styles include disappearing or “pocket” doors, which slide into a concealed cavity in a hollow wall space. Sliding doors come in, for example, indoor solid styles, or glass patio styles, also called “Acadia” styles. Many sliding door panel sections are made with rectangular frame suspending a taut mesh screen. Such mesh screen door panels permit air to flow between the interior and exterior of a space, while preventing the free ingress and egress of, for example, leaves and detritus, insects and spiders, wild animals, household pets, and children. However, such mesh screens are often somewhat fragile and present a high risk of tearing, puncturing, or separating from the frame.